A Hero's Hatred
by BlackOpal218
Summary: The last time anyone saw the Dragonborn was when she left to defeat Alduin in Sovngarde, two years ago. What happened to her? Many believe she died in battle, sacrificing herself for Skyrim, but friends never lose faith. Jakev devotes his life to finding her, but even he couldn't be prepared for what he finds... (Originally named "The Forgotten Hero.")
1. Prologue

_Chapter 1:_ A Friend Forgotten _POV- Jakev_

It had been two years since I had last seen Avalyn. Two years since I had wished her well as she went off to defeat Alduin and fulfill her destiny as Dragonborn.

" _We've beaten him before," she said, "don't worry about me. I'll meet you in Riften. It might take a while." Though her voice stayed strong, there was no mistaking the panic in her eyes. "I'll see you soon."_

" _Lyn? Are you okay?" I asked. "You look rather pale." Her normally tan skin, uncommon for a Nord such as herself, was a milky white._ Well, no wonder she's scared, _I thought,_ anyone would be in her place.

" _I… I'm fine. Just… Wait for me at Honeyside, will you? Tell Brynjolf I'll be a while."_

" _Of course. Wouldn't want him to think his new Guildmaster had deserted." Acting on impulse, I stepped forward, embracing her. Her heart was racing, her thin veneer of calm threatening to crack. "You'll be fine, Lyn. You're one of the best warriors Skyrim has ever seen."_

" _Heh… Sure. Just one more dragon, right?" Despite her fear, she managed to twist her lips into something resembling a smile. "Nothing new there."_

 _"That's the spirit. When, not if, you get back you can regale me with tales of your battle prowess over a mug of ale at the inn, yes? I'll be waiting." I smiled gently. "Lyn, look at me."_

 _She raised her head, eyes wide and scared. "Yeah?"_

 _"I know you can do this. We've been through hundreds of battles together, remember? And we've won each and every one of them. Why should this be any different?" As I spoke, I could feel her trembling violently, and her shoulders shook with tiny, rapid breaths. She was crying._

 _"It's just that," she said. Tears streaked her face as she raised her eyes to meet mine. In them, I saw a side to my friend I'd never thought existed before. It was raw terror, fear so great it shook me to my very core. Voice cracking, she whispered, "I'm going to be alone."_

 _She turned away, hiding her face from the crowd. It's as if I was paralyzed. I opened my mouth to say something, anything. But what could I say to that? "Lyn, no! Wait!" I yelled. I was too late._

Two years ago today I had watched as Odahviing spread his wings and took flight, Avalyn on his back. I hadn't stopped thinking about her since.


	2. Hope

_Chapter 2: Old Friends_

 _Journal Entry 81, 15_ _th_ _of Sun's Dusk_

I can't relax. No matter how hard I try, there's always that feeling, like something isn't right. Almost like… something is missing. No, not some _thing._ Someone. Avalyn. Two years to the day, and still no word of her. It's almost as if she has vanished off the face of Nirn. There are rumors, of course. Rumors that soon prove to be false. I want to give up, to just let my friend go. So many people think she's dead, why not me?

 _Journal Entry 82, 18_ _th_ _of Sun's Dusk_

 _No._ I can't stop looking. I swore I would wait for you. I promised Brynjolf I'd keep you safe. You're alive. You have to be. I just… I haven't looked hard enough. I'll walk the whole of Tamriel if I need to, but I refuse to let my friend down. Sorry, Lyn. I can't wait for you anymore. You used to tell me that if I wanted something to happen, I'd have to make it happen myself. Well today, I'm taking those words to heart. One way or another, I'll find you.

 _19_ _th_ _of Sun's Dusk, Riften_

Iona wandered around the streets of Riften aimlessly. Her Thane was gone, and had been so for two years now. Jarl Laila had offered multiple times to re-assign her to a lesser noble of the court, but she had refused. If there was any chance of her friend returning, she would stay. Avalyn might have been young, but she was still one of the best fighters Iona had ever seen. No matter what the others may say, she was still alive. And she's bound to come back sometime, right?

Master Jakev certainly thought so. She felt so sorry for the man. He had been so hopeful at first, and had planned a massive celebration for his friend's return. But soon, his optimism wavered. Days passed, then weeks and months at a time went by without a sign of the girl.

He had soon turned to drink, spending most of his nights slumped over the bar in the Bee and Barb. Any attempt to rouse him from his stupor was met with drunken swearing and, in one extreme scenario, a dagger against your throat. In the span of one year, a friendly, outgoing man had become cold and grim, his closest friend gone.

The housecarl hadn't seen him much lately. He left early, sometimes before the sun had risen, returning in the dead of night with his clothes reeking of alcohol. It was never long before she heard him mumbling to himself, almost as if he believed his companion was there with him. Slurred whispers soon devolved into quiet prayer, then finally heartbroken sobs. He screamed at the sky, cursed the gods. All he wanted was for Avalyn to be safe, he said. Why must fate be so cruel?

But today was different. There had been no slammed door, no feverish muttering. Iona came home to find Jakev seated at the table, hunched over his journal with quill in hand. His robes were spotless, his blonde hair trimmed and unruly beard shaved. As she turned to lock the door, he peered up at her, his piercing green eyes clear and steady. "Good evening, Iona," he said, his eyes returning to the book in his hands. "Was wondering where you had gone."

"I, uh… Oh. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't expect to see you back so soon." She fiddled with her gauntlets, unsure of what to say next. "M-my lord?"

"Iona, we've been over this. My name is Jakev, not 'lord' or 'master.' You don't hear me calling you 'housecarl,' do you? No, you have a name and that is what I call you." He glanced at her, smiling faintly. "Now, what was it that you wanted?"

She blinked. That was different. "Well, mi-Jakev. I was just wondering how you were feeling." His shoulders stiffened. "If you don't mind my asking, that is!" she added hurriedly. There was a moment of stillness, save for the soft crackling of the fire and the flickering shadows it cast.

Sighing, Jakev closed his journal. "I'm better than I was. Decided it was high time I stopped feeling sorry for myself and get back into it." With a wry smile, he said, "That, and Keerava threatened to ban me from the inn if I didn't sober up." He laughed without humor, eyes dull. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting recently. Without Lyn it's… it's been hard."

"I can only imagine. We all thought Avalyn a friend, but you… It must be torture. How long have you known her?"

"Almost fifteen years. For eight of those, she fought by my side. Not once did she show fear, nor run from a challenge. She was like a daughter to me. But that last day. That final, fateful day… she was terrified." His voice cracked. "And I couldn't be there to help her."

Once again, an uncomfortable silence blanketed the small room. After a few awkward condolences, Jakev pushed back his chair and made for the door. "I'm going to see the Jarl. If I'm lucky, she'll have a few bounties I can take."

"Of course. And, might I say one more thing?"

"I don't see why not."

"My lord, I'm so sorry for what you've had to go through. No man should ever have to suffer such grief. If it's any comfort to you, I'll be on the lookout for any new leads in your absence. And… good luck, my lord. Remember, your friends are here for you. If you need anything, you have but to ask."

"Name's still Jakev, but… thanks. See you soon."

"May the gods be with you."


	3. Idiots!

_Chapter 3: Idiots! (POV: Lei Night-Eye)_

 _Damn it. Damn it all to hell. I spend six days tracking these idiots, and for what? To wake up with a dagger to my throat and a club to the head._ I shook my shackles uselessly. Had to give them credit, though. The binds were too tight to allow any sort of lockpicking. _Damn bandits._ The contract had been simple- there was a bandit group causing trouble for the Guild in the Rift. Seek them out, find their leader. Recover the stolen shipment of goods, including the ram's horn pendant the leader wears. Kill them all. Well, technically that last bit wasn't part of the job, but there _was_ a bounty on their heads as well. So I thought that I might as well kill two birds with one stone, and make some extra coin on the side.

The only problem was that the bandits were smarter than I originally suspected.And as much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't nearly as cautious as I should have been. But how was I to know they had a sweeper guarding their backs? Damn fool had been trailing me for days without my knowing. He ended up sneaking up on me in the middle of the night, and so here I was, a "prisoner."

Except for one little thing. So the bandits took my weapons, fine. All I had was a dagger anyway. They never found my armor, thank the gods, or I might not have woken up that night. After all, the telltale red-and-black pattern was fairly damning, and I was thankful that I had taken the time to hide it up high in a nearby tree before I set up camp.

But even unarmed and unprotected, I was still dangerous. Deadly, even. I didn't train under Archmage Savos Aren and Master Faralda for ten years and learn nothing. I didn't spend hour after hour with old Festus Crex, gods rest his soul, twiddling my thumbs. No. I was one of the most powerful destruction mages in Skyrim, a proud member of the Thieves' Guild, and Listener of the bloody _Dark Brotherhood_ , for pity's sake! _And I'll be damned if I lose my life to a crew of puffed-up, ignorant, cutthroat idiots!_

I peered through the bars to my cell, craning my neck to sneak a glimpse of my captors. There they were, the lot of them. Reeking of piss and rotten food, they were gathered around a meager fire and had begun discussing my fate. _Ugh. Just try kill me already and be done with it._ The only reason I was still unharmed was because one of the meat-brained louts had taken a liking to me. _Filthy n'wah. If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget._

"Come on, boss!"

"I said no. I want 'er dead by mornin'."

"She's no danger, look at her!" Well. That hurt. I suppose I did look rather pathetic- my hands chained above my head, my clothes torn and covered with dirt. _Still_ , I thought, _I'm not exactly defenseless._

"Till you wake up wi' a knife against yer throat." _Please. As if I'd wait that long._

"He's got a point, Daryl," another said. "I don't like the looks of them eyes. She's not to be trusted." At that, I huffed a laugh. _You've got that right._

"But…" The bandit now known as Daryl sounded unsure. "She's just a little thing. Hardly any muscle on her." _I don't need muscle to slip a dagger between your ribs. Or to send a fireball in your face, for that matter._

"I'd like to hear you say that with a dagger in your neck," the second bandit said. _Ha! I like you. Pity you have to die._

"Well, when you put it that way…" _Yes, now you realize you pathetic whelp. Now come over here and open the damn cage._ "I see your point." I felt his gaze shift towards me. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Right then."

I watched as he unhooked the key from his belt, my features and attitude automatically shifting from the raging assassin to the terrified, shaking merchant they expected to see. "Sir, please," I begged, forcing tears down my face. "Please, d-don't kill me… J-just let me g-go." I met his eyes, schooling my expression to one of desperation and fear. He averted his eyes and unlocked the door. I shrank from his touch, holding my breath as the filthy man knelt in front of me with dagger in hand. _We're doing it this way, huh? Damn. Magic it is then._ I began to ready a spell, feeling the slight drain in my magicka reserves as I did so. I felt the buildup of energy sizzling beneath my skin, waiting to be released in an explosion of fire. _Wait for it. Wait._

"Don't do it in here, you blithering idiot! Take her outside first!" _Oh come on, now you say it? I was_ this _close to… Ugh!_ I hissed in irritation as I released my hold on the spell, feeling its power slowly fade to oblivion. _Well, I suppose it makes my job a little easier._

"Ah. Yes, okay. Er- Get up now, come on." His hands closed around my arm and he yanked upwards, pulling it nearly out of its socket as I rose to my feet. "Sorry, miss," he muttered. "I don't mean to hurt you. Just keep quiet and walk and it'll be over soon." _You think that hurt? You know nothing about what I've endured._ I did as he asked, though I made sure to keep up the guise of fear, stumbling forward and whimpering from the "pain."

As we exited the cave, I was temporarily blinded by the sudden whiteness of the outside world. A biting wind howled through the trees, and snow fell heavily from the sky, already covering the dirt with a layer of fresh powder. Despite myself, I soon found my teeth chittering and shoulders quaking no longer from false panic, but from cold. _Blasted Skyrim._ After a good five minutes of walking, Daryl finally stopped and heaved a sigh. He raised his eyes to mine, and strangely, there was true sadness there. _Must not have been a bandit very long, then if he's this reluctant to kill me._

"I'm awfully sorry, miss. But if I don't do this, they'll kill me." _Ah, there it is._ "I've already messed up once, I can't afford to do it again." _Too late._ He unsheathed his dagger. Stepped towards me, arm raised. I stood stock-still, waiting, my eyes trained not on the dagger, but on him. _Less experienced fighters show their target in their eyes, in the placing of their feet. Keep still until you are certain, then dodge their blow and strike._ Astrid's words echoed in my head, words that had come to my aid more times than I could count. And judging from the man's eyes, he was going for my heart. _Well, that's a bit straightforward._ A flash of steel, a slight sway of my body, a sharp blow to his ribs and the man quickly found himself with my binds around his throat. _And foolish._

"Well now. That was fun." The stuttering, blubbering little merchant-girl was gone, replaced by the lethal assassin that always lurked just beneath my skin.

"Wh-wha… how did you…" _Oh, how quaint_. The man was scared!

I felt a cruel smile cross my lips. "It wasn't all that hard. I'd love to show you, but my time here is short. Now give me the key to these blasted things and maybe I'll spare your life, hmm?"

"N-no, please don't kill me!" Oh, I could almost _taste_ his fear! _How pathetic._ "I'll give you the key, just promise not to kill me!"

 _Tch._ The temptation to blast the sniveling whelp right then was strong, but if I was to fulfill my contract, I'd rather _not_ do it while my wrists were bound by this pesky chain. I could, of course-don't get me wrong-I'd just rather not have to deal with the looks I'd be sure to get walking into the flagon, clanking up a storm. "I don't make promises. And my patience is running thin."

"Wait! Here it is, see right here!" He held up the key with shaking hands. "I'll even unlock them for you, see?" The manacles fell to the ground.

"You have my thanks. Now hand me your bow." I thought for a second. "And, while you're at it, that lovely knife of yours will suit me fine." The man hastily unslung his quiver and passed it to me, followed by his bow (which was rather shoddy, but beggars can't be choosers) and a dull hunting knife. "Much appreciated, good sir," I said scornfully. "Get out of my sight. You have twenty seconds to reach those trees or my arrow finds your neck."

The man stared at me in shock. "But I have nothing! No gold, no weapons. Miss-"

"One. Two." I nocked an arrow. "Three. Four."

His face paled. "No, no wait! I wasn't ready!"

"Five. Six. Seven."

"Please!"

"Eight. Nine." Before the next word had left my lips, the man took off. Still counting, I raised the bow and slowly drew back the string. "Thirteen." I trained the sights on his rapidly receding figure. "Fifteen. Sixteen." The man tripped over a chunk of ice, but rather than lessen his pace, it seemed to bolster it. "Seventeen." He wasn't going to make it. "Eighteen." The feathered shaft brushed my cheek. "Nineteen." _Too slow._ "Twenty." I let the arrow fly.

And by the count of three-and-twenty, it found its mark.


	4. Friendly Fire

_Chapter 4: Friendly Fire (POV: Lei Night-Eye)_

I knelt by the man's corpse, checking his pockets for any hidden treasures. There wasn't much- just one small garnet, which was too cloudy to be worth anything, and a small bag of coins. _Oh well._ I raised my gaze to his face-well, really to the gaping hole in his neck. It was clear by the blood still pumping from the wound that the fool had tried to pull the arrow out-effectively hastening his own death. The arrow lay discarded a few feet away from where the man lay. I returned it to my quiver, gave the bandit one last look, then rose to my feet. "One down, five to go." I smiled. "This is going to be fun."

Finding my way back to the camp wasn't going to be easy-the freshly fallen snow obscured any footprints the two of us had left on our way out from the cave. The sun lay low in the sky, and the clouds overhead warned of worse weather to come. And, to make matters worse, if I didn't find the entrance by nightfall, I was going to have to expend much more energy than I wished just to keep myself warm, since even the simplest spells could chip away at my reserves if I wasn't careful.

 _Hang on. Simple spells? What about…_ I raised my hand, palm facing skyward, and used a small amount of magicka to form a small sphere of energy above it. "If this works, I swear..." Clairvoyance was a spell every student of the college was taught, but I had rarely found any use for it. As I had been instructed, I called forth an image of my destination in my mind, and fed a small stream of magic into the orb. Slowly, a ghostly trail began to form before me. _Ha! Guess those lessons are going to pay off after all!_ I began to follow the glowing path, but in the interest of conserving magicka I only cast the spell every so often to check my course.

Only minutes later the camp was in sight. Unsurprisingly, there was a guard waiting outside, no doubt waiting for the return of his comrade. "Your mistake," I muttered, reaching for my bow. I crouched by a outcropping of rocks protruding from the snow, making sure my shot was clear before I nocked an arrow. Silent as death, the arrow flew through the air and buried itself in the man's heart. He was dead before he hit the ground. Just as I had before, I searched the his pockets for anything valuable before recovering the arrow-a bit harder than last time-I had to make several incisions in the man's chest to free the head. The tip was a little damaged, but I kept it regardless. "Never can have too many arrows," I said with a shrug.

With two of the bandits down, I slipped into the cave. The remaining four were still huddled around their fire, oblivious to the danger lurking not twenty feet away. _The idiots don't even have a guard posted!_ If I was quick, I could take two of them down with my bow before the others even knew what was happening. I glanced around, assessing my targets. The chief sat with his back to me, and wore little armor. His sword lay in its sheath across his legs-enchanted, from the look of it. To his left there was an Orc, half-clad in iron. _Yikes._ There was a positively massive Dwarven greatsword strapped to his back. _Can he use it, though?_ I thought. _I'd rather not find out._ A small wood elf sat next to him, with nothing but fur to protect her. She had a bow slung over her shoulder and a dagger at her waist, but I doubted she'd be too much trouble. The fourth bandit sat farthest from the fire, his nose buried in a book. _Huh. Didn't think bandits could read._ He wore the robes of a mage, and had nothing but a dagger sheathed at his belt.

So who to kill first? Each bandit was different-a mage, an archer, a berserker and a warrior. _The mage?_ Mage fights were destructive and deadly, even to those uninvolved, and leaving him unchecked would mean I would have to defend myself from both magic and corporeal attacks. _Think I'll pass on that, thanks._ The wood elf might prove dangerous, but my wards could protect me from a couple arrows while I took down her remaining companion. Besides, her aim would be obstructed by whichever bandit that would be trying to lop my head off at the time. That left the leader and the Orc. _Orc._ I barely had to think. The chief's sword might have been enchanted, but I'd seen how well Orc warriors could wield their blades.

 _So that settles it._ I raised my bow and selected two arrows from my quiver. Having one arrow already in my hand would make it easier for me to take down two targets in quick succession. As I had done a thousand times before, I drew back the bowstring and focused my attention on my quarry. The mage sat with his body angled towards me, his eyes still trained on his book. _This is too easy._ I released the string, knowing my aim was true. Barely a second had passed before I had the second arrow at the ready. The mage fell to the ground with a strangled cry, blood seeping through his robes. My bow sang its deadly song once more, and the Orc careened forward with my arrow in his neck.

The remaining two bandits jumped into action, but it was far too late. I cast away my bow and stepped from the shadows. Their faces were priceless-fear, anger, and shock all rolled into one. The Bosmer actually screamed. I suppose I did look fairly terrifying, with my clothes ripped to shreds and hands filled with crackling electricity-not to mention the maniacal grin and black eyes filled with rage. Still, I hardly had time to savor the moment. The leader charged me with a bloodthirsty roar, sword raised high above his head. _Fool._ Lightning shot from my hands, filling the room with purple light… and the smell of burning hair. The spell struck the man square in the chest, blasting him off his feet. He hit the floor, twitched once, twice. Then went still.

At this point the Bosmer was visibly terrified. She had dropped her bow, and had backed into the corner. I approached her, my steps silent as death. She held her dagger with trembling fingers before her, tears streaming down her face. "I-I'll kill you!" she sobbed. "Don't c-come any c-closer!" I stepped forward. "No! Stay b-back!"

"Or what?" I asked, the contempt I felt obvious in my voice. "You'll cut me with your little knife?"

The girl whimpered. "Please."

 _Why do they always beg?_ "Please? Please what?"

"Please… don't hurt me." The knife fell to her feet. She raised her hands to her head, palms facing me in a sign of surrender. "I'm no danger to you."

"Hurt you? Oh, dear me, I wouldn't dream of it!"

"R-really?" She sounded so hopeful. _Pathetic._

Gently, I took her face in my hands. Her eyes met mine. I smiled. "It won't hurt a bit." The girl barely had time to register my words before the spell took effect. The life faded from her eyes, her fear-stricken expression slowly relaxing into one of content. I stood back as her body fell with a soft _thump_ at my feet. Despite myself, I felt bad. _You didn't lie,_ I told myself. _Her death was painless. She died thinking of her happiest moment._ I turned to leave, but a flash of silver caught my attention. My breath hitched in my throat. A ring. _A wedding ring._ There was a matching one on the mage's finger. "Gods… I'm sorry." _No. They were bandits. They chose this life! They would have killed you… Remember what they've done in the past._ With a final glance at her corpse, I moved away.

It didn't take me long to find the shipment Brynjolf had been talking about. The bandits hadn't even tried to hide it. The gems sat in their original casing on an old, rickety table by the leader's bedroll. The man himself carried two of them. His sword-a little bloody, but nothing I couldn't fix-was one of the things Brynjolf had listed as stolen, and the pendant he wore would get me the bounty. I buckled the sword to my belt, and tied the necklace's chain around its hilt. The jewels I placed in a small knapsack I found by the fire. I checked the chest by the entrance to find the sword's matching dagger, which joined its counterpart on my belt. With my job done, I turned to leave. I pushed aside the door, bracing myself against the sudden cold. I was prepared for the wind. I was ready for the snow. What I did not expect was the fireball flung at my face.

I had a split second to throw out my arm and construct a ward before the spell detonated against my own. _What the hell?!_ I leapt backwards, casting a hasty Ironflesh spell as I moved. Another fireball whizzed past where I had been standing only seconds before. My attacker stood a few meters away, their features concealed by a hood. I could feel the magic radiating from their skin-they were far more powerful than me. Their hands filled with fire once more, my only warning before another deadly spell flew past. I jumped to the side as it approached, singeing the ends of my hair when I didn't move in time. Desperately, I sent a bolt of lightning arcing towards them-to no avail. The mage cast a ward of their own, effectively negating my attack. I was forced to defend myself as my assailant launched spell after spell, with no time to retaliate.

 _Shit._ I was out of magicka. _Shitshitshitshit._ The mage showed no signs of tiring, and I had no wea- _Wait, no. I'm an idiot._ I reached for the bandit leader's sword, flicking it out of its sheath with ease as I advanced on my attacker. I ducked yet another fireball, then sprinted to meet them before they could summon a new one. I drove my shoulder into the person's stomach, bowling them over. They tried to roll away, but I slammed the hilt of my sword into their head before they could get free.

The person-male, it seemed- lay stunned. He shook his head a couple times as if to clear it, then tried again to push me off. I held the blade of my sword to the man's throat. "Right," I growled, "Who the _hell_ are you?"

No response.

"Oh come on, I haven't hurt you yet. _Yet._ " Using my spare hand, I ripped the man's hood down. "Now you better have a damn good re-By Sithis!" The man below me was Altmer. A very familiar one at that. "Jakev?!" I moved my sword from his neck, nearly impaling myself with it as I struggled to my feet. "It's me, Lei!"

"Wha- who?"

"Lei? Lei Night-Eye? Come off it, I didn't hit you that hard, did I?"

"But you're… aren't you?"

"What?" I was beginning to become rather concerned. "Hang on, you _are_ Jakev, right?"

"I do believe so, yes." He looked down and patted his chest. "Last time I checked."

"Well, at least you remember that much. But, it's me, your old friend, the assassin?"

"Assassin? I don't – wait. Lei?"

"That's what I've been saying."

"Oh, gods, Lei! You aren't a bandit." The idiot was smiling. "Sorry about that. My fault."

"Sorry? You're _sorry?_ You nearly incinerated me!" All the same, I held my hand out to him, helping him to his feet.

"How was I supposed to know who you were?" he said. "I hadn't seen your face till now! And it's not exactly like I expect my friends to come barreling out of bandit dens at the drop of a hat."

"Hadn't seen my… Oh. I suppose you hadn't." Whenever I was in some major city or on a mission, I would have been wearing a mask to hide my face from the authorities. "I guess I understand that. I haven't seen you in ages, my friend!" Oh gods, I was smiling like a bloody idiot, wasn't I? _Damn it._

His smile faltered. "I've been getting that quite a bit."

"We haven't really gotten the chance to talk, you and I… You were always…"

"Drunk?"

I winced at the bluntness in his voice. "Yeah."

He smiled again, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yes, well, I'm past that now. I'm not much use passed out over the bar, am I?"

"So, you still are trying to find… _her_ … then?" _Avalyn._ I hadn't thought about her in ages. But looking at Jakev now- how could I have forgotten?

"You know I can't stop. Not while she's… I need to know."

"I understand." Hesitantly, I asked, "Do you want any help?"

His face lightened. "I would love some. Anyway, what brings you out here?" He was clearly trying to steer the conversation away from his friend, and the bad memories I knew accompanied any thought of her. I obliged.

"Guild stuff. Bandits raided a shipment of goods traveling to Riften. Brynjolf sent me to recover it." I gestured to the weapons on my belt and the pack slung over my shoulder. "There was a bounty on their heads as well. Thought I'd make some extra gold with that."

Jakev's face dropped comically. "Darn! I had hoped you didn't know."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. Here he was, after an entire year of losing himself to drink. Same as ever. "I _could_ be persuaded to split it fifty-fifty. But only if you help me find my stuff."

He cocked his head to the side quizzically. "You lost your stuff? As in armor, weapons, all of that?" Clearly, he was just now noticing the ragged, dirt-caked and fire-scorched shift, the lack of my usual daggers and cloak. "That explains why you don't have the mask. How did you manage to do that?"

 _Damn._ "It's a bit embarrassing. Err… I _might_ have gotten captured by bandits in my sleep." He grinned, eyes filled with mirth. "Shut up!" He started laughing - the same, chittering laugh I had missed so much. "Shut up, shut up!"

"Ah…" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, I just need to picture this for a second. They snuck up on you-the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood-in the middle of the night. And…" He mimed swinging a club. "Just like that?"

"Yes. Now shut up or you get nothing. Can you find my bag or not? I'm out of magicka or I'd do it myself."

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a moment…" He took a deep breath, getting his laughter under control. "Here you go." Just as I had done before, he cast a Clairvoyance spell, the trail leading off into the forest. "After you, my lady."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** THIS IS NOT A NEW CHAPTER. THIS IS ME FIXING MY MISTAKES. Cleaner dialogue, fresher characters. Also, this was not two weeks, was it? I'm a terrible person, and I clearly cannot promise anything, but thanks for sticking around guys! And guess what? Two new chapters, coming soon! (They're already written, so there shouldn't be too much of a wait!)

(I don't own Skyrim nor any of its characters, etc., etc.)


	5. Past to Present

_Chapter 5: Past to Present (POV: Jakev)_

Only ten minutes into our hike through Skyrim's frostbitten woodlands and a storm was already setting in. And as if that wasn't enough, the sun was slipping past the horizon, meaning it was about to get a lot colder. I looked over to where Lei was walking beside me. She was shivering, to no surprise. The elf was still wearing the nightshift she had been captured in, dirt, tears and all. I had been half-hoping she still had enough magicka to take care of herself, but at this point it was safe to say she didn't. I took a moment to check up on my own reserves, then made my decision. Better to have my face bitten off by Lei now because I offered to help, rather than have her freeze to death before we found her armor.

Sighing, I began to speak. "Lei, you and I both know that you are in no condition to be wading through snow and ice at the moment. I mean, look at your hands; they're even more blue than usual!"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not…" Her teeth started chattering the second she opened her mouth. Raising a hand to her face, she asked "What's your point?"

"Just wondering if you wanted help, that's all."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm fine." Rubbing her arms vigorously, she turned away. "I don't need anything."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're fine?"

"Yes."

"Why can't you just accept that you need help? If you go on like this much longer I'll have to haul you into Riften on my back! For Arkay's sake, let me help you!"

"I said I'm fine." Her shoulders shook violently as a strong wind blew past us.

I peered up at the sky. "Lei, listen to me. I'm fully aware of how capable you are when it comes to taking care of yourself, but face it- you'll catch your death if you stay like this! The sun is setting, a snowstorm's blowing in, and you are stuck out here in nothing but your nightclothes!" Angrily, I continued, "Now I can't read your mind, but I'm not blind! You've been shaking in your boots the whole time we've been out here. I've had to slow down five times in order to let you catch up- any slower and I'd be standing still! Swallow that stubborn pride of yours and accept the fact that you need my help."

Lei stared at me for several seconds before answering. "I… Fine. If it makes you happy, worrywart. Just get it over with."

Nodding, I raised my right hand and drew upon the necessary energy to cast the spell. The small, harmless orb of flame I summoned bounced merrily between my fingers. I glanced at Lei, her own eyes fixed on the flickering light. Gently, I took her hands in mine and pressed the fiery sphere to her palm. As the spell met her skin, it faded into a glowing tattoo that curled around her lower arm.

After a brief moment of silence, I spoke again. "That's that. Feel better now?"

Lei smiled and flexed her fingers. "As much as I hate to admit it, yes. I never did get the hang of shield spells. Old Festus never spent much time on such trifles. Ah, thank you, by the way."

"Not at all." A faint tugging in the back of my mind reminded me of the task at hand. Quickly, I recast Clairvoyance to check our heading. "According to this, your pack should be close by. Where exactly, I cannot say- the spell is only so accurate."

"Well now that you mention it, this area does look rather familiar." She scanned the trees around us. "There-up ahead. You see that old pine, the one with the slashes down the side?" I did not, but nor did I have Lei's eyes. Before I could say so, she hiked up the hem of her skirt and dashed forward. Sighing, I ran after her, ducking under several low-hanging branches as I went. "Yes, here! I remember this, because I had been worried the bear that made these-"She waved at the gashes in the tree's bark- "was still in the area. Too old though. Anyway, my pack should be… Yes, I see it!" Lei pointed at something far above our heads.

"You didn't." I craned my neck, peering through snow-laden greenery to catch a glimpse of her bag. "How can you see anything in this stuff?"

"Trust me, it's there. I'll be right back."

"Back? Where are you…?" I blinked in surprise as Lei lunged forward, kicking off from the trunk of an adjacent tree to catch a branch on the marked one. Amazed, I watched her leap from branch to branch without fear. "Are you insane?" I called up to her, "you could break your neck!"

"Ha! Getting on in your years, are you now Jak?" She swung to the next branch. "You scared? Must be boring, being old. Such a shame, a cripple at the ripe age of… thirty-two, was it? Not being able to- oof!"

My heart skipped a beat as the branch Lei had been leaning on snapped under her weight. She stumbled back, arms swinging wildly, as she tried to steady herself against the sudden change. Thankfully, she managed to regain her balance, albeit rather ungracefully. "You alright up there, oh great Listener?" Even fifty feet up, I could feel her black-eyed stare boring into my head. "Sure you don't need this old man to give you a hand?"

"Oh, shove off, will you?" A few seconds later, she had grabbed her pack-which I could now see, with her right next to it. "Found it!"

"I can see that. Mind coming back down so I don't have to yell?"

"Sure, one moment." She slung the pack over her shoulder and dropped down to the branch below her. I lowered my gaze to survey our surroundings, vaguely listening to the creaking noises emanating from my crazy companion in the tree above me.

Which, as it turns out, was a mistake. With a triumphant shout, Lei launched herself from the tree and tackled me to the ground. I let out a cry, my hands flashing out in front of me in an effort to catch myself. Lei rolled off me, laughing all the while. "Whatever happened to that famous Altmer hearing?" She smiled wickedly. "Too old?"

Grunting, I pushed myself to my feet and brushed the snow from my cloak. "You have your stuff then?" I asked, ignoring her gloating expression.

The elf rolled her eyes- or at least, I thought she did. It was kind of hard to tell with her. "Of course I do." She tapped the strap across her chest. "Now, if my memory serves me right, I should have a couple left…" She swung her pack from her shoulders and tossed it to me. "Here, hold this a minute will you?"

"Err, sure." I caught the bundle with one hand, staggering a bit when I felt how heavy it was. "By the Nine! What do you have in here?"

Lei looked up from her digging in the bag. "Huh? Oh! It's my songbook. Here, I'll show you." She reached into the folds of the pack and pulled out an old, dog-eared volume with the words "Songs of Tamriel" etched on the cover.

"You sing? No offense, but you don't seem like the type."

She smiled. "Well, you couldn't have met many good assassins then, have you? All of us need a cover story, but mine just so happens to be real. I trained at the Bards' College up in Solitude when I was young. Never got very far, but I can carry a decent tune."

"And you carry around this ten-stone book around because, why, exactly?"

"Never know when you need an alibi, a distraction, or just a place to stay. Lots of innkeepers will let me bed down for free in exchange for a few tunes." She turned her attention back to her supplies. "Aha! Here it is- no wait that's…" She squinted at a small crystal vial, trying to make out the cramped labeling pasted to it. "Maybe if I…?" She uncorked the vial and sniffed its contents cautiously. Immediately, she drew back, eyes watering. "Poison. Um. Not drinking that."

"I would hope not." Idly, I flipped through the songbook's pages, glancing at the titles; some of which I recognized as the common tavern songs, like _The Tale of Tongues_. Others, though, were more obscure. One in particular caught my eye; a handwritten entry, in Lei's script. " _Fire and Ash_?" I asked, "Never heard of it."

Lei handed me another book, this one titled "Potions and Poisons, V2," and said, "I'm not surprised. It's an old melody, from Morrowind. I found it years ago, in the old Ashlandi records. Well, what was left of them anyway- Red Mountain's eruption destroyed most of their archives. To my understanding, it's about the Nerevarine's victory at Dagoth Ur. Beautiful song, you know." Frowning, she continued, "Shame it doesn't get much use up here, though. The natives here don't appreciate Dunmeri culture."

"Yes, I'd imagine. All these - how did you phrase it? - 'filthy Nords with no class or taste,'" I quoted, referencing the assassin's introduction to the Guild. "Glad to see you haven't changed, Night-Eye."

"Hey, I was angry, okay? And that was a long time ago." Nevertheless, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly in amusement as she began rifling through her pack again. "Ah – Is this? Yeah, here it is." She held up a small glass bottle and shook it from side to side. The clear liquid inside began to glow with a blue hue, to which Lei nodded approvingly.

"Magicka potion?" I asked.

"Yeah." Uncorking the vial, she raised it in a mock toast. "Cheers." She tilted her head back and gulped it down, grimacing at the foul taste. "Ugh. No matter what I put in these things, I can't seem to make them taste any better. Well, that's that done. Now let me put on my armor and we can start moving again."

Lei pulled out a black-and-red leather cuirass, along with the matching boots and gloves. I stared at her, surprised that she chose to bring such an incriminating ensemble on her mission. Amazed at her tenacity, I stayed rooted to the spot as she walked away and ducked behind a nearby bush, not daring to move lest Lei thought I was trying to get a look at her.

I was soon lost in thought, reflecting on all that had happened today alone. _None of this would have happened if I hadn't decided to talk to the Jarl_ , I thought. _Or if I had gone to the bar instead of back home. Avalyn used to say that everything happened for a reason, however minor. Maybe she was right._ As I always did when I thought about Lyn, I began to lose myself in memories of the years past. Happier times, when there wasn't a civil war ripping the land to shreds or dragons swooping from the heavens. Times when I could spend an entire month sparring and training, without a care in the world.

Before long, I became aware of Lei's crunching approach through the snow. I turned to meet her, taking in her new, deadly appearance. Her black hair was braided to the side of her face, tied off with a small leather band. The assassin's armor clung to her every curve, leaving little to the imagination. Her hand rested comfortably at her hip, fingers brushing the hilt of a wickedly sharp glass dagger, the enchanted blade glinting with a frosty light. And true to my memory, her face was obscured by a terrifyingly beautiful ebony mask, its elvish features marred by the silver skull carved on to its surface. Dark red splatters stained the edges, whether decoration or something more sinister, I didn't have the courage to ask. Her eyes, still black as the night sky, glimmered behind the mask. When she spoke, her voice sounded distorted and echoed ominously. "How do I look?"

"Like death," I smiled. "I had forgotten how creepy that damn thing was. Can't say I appreciate the reminder."

Lei chuckled, removing said mask from her face. "It is properly scary, isn't it? Arnbjorn, Sithis rest his soul, did a fine job on it." She held it up to the sky, admiring how it gleamed in the moonlight. Smiling faintly, she slid it onto her belt and raised her hood against the wind. "Let's get going, I don't want to be stuck out here when that storm arrives."

"Agreed." I glanced up at the clouds overhead, calculating how much time we had. "It's a shame we don't have our horses." Sighing, I ran after Lei.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Chapter 4 has been edited slightly, smoother dialogue and the like. One chapter of the promised two, but I'm going to stagger the release a bit. Sorry! D: It'll be out on Tuesday, not even a week, I swear! I just need to make sure everything makes sense before it's out. And again, thanks for all the support and advice! I started this chapter when I was fourteen, and my sixteenth birthday is only just coming up in August, so I'd like to think my writing style has changed a lot since then. The chapter after next _should_ be out either shortly before or after my birthday (August 1st). After that, I don't know, but I hope it won't be too long after.

Also, in the next chapter, the song referenced here, _Fire and Ash,_ will appear if you guys are interested. Let me know if you are!


	6. The Keening

_Chapter 6: The Keening (POV-Jakev)_

Shor's Stone. Gods, I hadn't been here in ages. The settlement showed little change. The mine still bustled with activity, the trees still cast their golden branches overhead. Same faces, a little more worn and a little more worried, perhaps, but that wasn't a surprise. Even in my drunken state, I had heard the rumors. Reports of strange sounds and figures in the woodland and caves nearby. There were no confirmed sightings yet, but most of the town's residents suspected a new influx of vampiric activity to be the cause.

Personally, I didn't know what to think, but I wouldn't be surprised if their fears proved correct. Lei and I had discussed the issue beforehand, ultimately deciding it would be safer (not to mention more comfortable) to rent a room at the inn and stay the night. Even if there weren't vampires stalking the night, a whole menagerie of other nocturnal creatures would be on the prowl, making nighttime travelling a hazard.

And so, the two of us found ourselves arriving at the town's small, run down inn just as the sun dipped entirely below the horizon. We were both too tired for conversation, only managing to stay conscious long enough for me to count out the gold for our rooms and for us mumble a goodnight to each other, before I collapsed from exhaustion and let sleep overwhelm me.

Hours later, I awoke from a dreamless slumber to the present hour, where the sun indicated the time to be around six in the morning. After a hasty breakfast, we left the inn and walked over to the blacksmith's for a quick chat. We got some stares, what with Lei's heavy cloak and hood concealing her features, but the people seemed less concerned when the recognized my face at her side. The people of Shor's Stone still remembered me, it seemed. I wasn't surprised. I had been here several times in the years before Avalyn's disappearance, often _with_ her as she ran off to a dragon's lair or a bandit's den, and I had made a few friends here during my visits. Including the blacksmith, and thus the reasoning behind our visit.

I called to the man as we neared, raising a hand in greeting. After a moment of visible confusion, his face lit up as he shouted back, "Hail there, Elf! Haven't seen your bloody face in a while! And who's the lady? Another friend of yours, I hope." He raised his own hand to his face and said to me in mock whisper, "because between you and me, she's a little dark and scary, don't ya think?"

"Worry not, Filnjar my friend, she's harmless." At Lei's audible scoff behind me, I amended, "well, harmless to you, I assure you." I could practically _feel_ the assassin roll her eyes, even with the hood shadowing them. I sighed, "just don't piss her off, and you probably won't die. Probably. Better, Lei?"

"Better," she laughed. "Hello- Filnjar, was it? It's good to meet you. I'm Lei, as you may have guessed." She extended a hand in his direction, to my slight surprise.

The smith shook it, saying, "Good to meet you too, Lei. You're a friend of Jakev, I suppose?"

"I've known him for long enough, I guess you could call it that," she smiled as she continued, "saved his sorry hide enough times, too. Sometimes I think he _wants_ to get killed!"

Filnjar chuckled heartily and turned to me. "You know, my friend, if what she says is true, maybe you should consider getting a set of armor, eh? A little protection so you don't get stabbed?"

"Thank you, but I'm okay, honest."

"Are you sure? Got a nice set of steel here, brand new! Could throw in a shield too, if you like!"

"I'm a mage; what would I want with a shield?"

"Yes, but those frilly robes of yours wouldn't do much against and arrow or a blade, would they? Or a tooth or claw, for that matter! I still remember that bear incident, all those years ago – don't say that's not a problem."

It was my turn to laugh as I said, "For gods' sakes, man, I'm not here so you can sell me armor!"

"Are you sure? Well, you're no help at all, are you?" Suddenly, he swung back to Lei, and started the same charade with her. "Hey there, friend! Need a blade? Some armor? A new- "

Lei sidestepped the man, moving to stand next to me. "No, no – whatever you're trying to sell me, I'm not buying. I've got armor, my dagger is fine, I don't need anything else."

"Well, do you – "

"Don't need anything repaired either, thanks"

The Nord's shoulders fell comically. "Ah, you're bleeding me here, folks! Nothing?"

"Nothing," we chorused.

"Damn."

I clapped his shoulder, saying, "better luck next time, my friend. But, for the time being, maybe you could help us?"

"How do you mean? I'm not much for anything, save smithing – and you've made it clear you don't need my services there!" By his overstatedly wounded expression, it was clear he was joking.

"Sorry, still not buying anything." Before the smith could say anything, I forged ahead, "I just had a few questions."

"Shoot, and I'll answer what I can."

I took a deep breath. _You're going to ask it anyway, get it over with now._ "Heard anything about – about Avalyn?"

Filnjar's face fell. "I'm sorry, Jak. Nothing. Not a whisper. All that's been said is that she's…"

"Dead," I finished. He nodded. Beside me, Lei sighed. "I was expecting that, I suppose." There was an awkward silence between us, broken only by the sounds of the town behind. "What about the activity in the woods? Everyone in Riften is talking about it."

It was a weak attempt to steer the conversation back on track, but he answered all the same. "Aye. There was a guard posted a couple months ago, after his shift he reported unidentified movement and some sort of keening noise coming from the trees. The next night, his comrade said the same thing. At first, we thought it was the start of some hoax, a ghost story to have the town scared. Or a wolf, some injured animal caught in a trap. But then a few days later, we held a small celebration for the opening of a new section in our mine. All of us stayed up through the night, drinking and laughing over at the inn. Just a bit of fun, you know? It got pretty late, a few hours past midnight. We were all looking forward to finishing the last of the mead and heading off to bed. Then _it_ started."

"The noise?" Lei asked.

"It was unlike anything I'd ever – that any of us had ever – "He shuddered. "Like nothing I've heard. Not a single person slept that night. By Talos, I get chills just thinking about it. It certainly wasn't human, but no animal I've met sounds like that. It didn't sound like it was in pain – more like it was hunting something. Someone. Whatever that… _thing_ was, it sure as hells wasn't of this world. The miners here are worrying themselves sick with speculation. A Daedra, Grogmar says, or a ghost, but Sylgja will tell you different. She stayed up one night, or at least she says she did. The tale she tells… You'll have to ask her yourself." He pointed over our heads, where said miner was standing talking to the guard posted outside the mine. "I don't know much else on the matter, and don't care to either. If it says away from the town, I'll have no quarrel with it. Call me a coward, but I'm not going to seek it out. I'm not trained for something like that. And frankly, the guards aren't either. I tell you, I'd rather face a dragon every day for a year than meet whatever that thing is. With dragons, you know what to be afraid of."

"I don't blame you, my friend. I'll talk to Sylgja, and thanks for the help."

"Anything else before you go?" He attempted a smile. "Some armor, just in case?"

"I'm afraid not, but – " I fished around in my pocket for a moment before pulling out a small satchel of gold and tossing it to him. "For your help. Stay safe out there."

He caught it deftly, and replied in kind. "You too, Jakev. And you, Lei. I know you're more than capable, but it doesn't hurt to be careful, you hear? I warn you, stay indoors at night. Keep to the paths, and don't go off looking for trouble in any caves. At least not until we find out what's going on around here."

"I don't look for trouble," I said defensively, "trouble _finds_ me."

Filnjar's smile grew a little more genuine. "Whatever you say, friend."

Lei and I wished the smith luck and bid him farewell. We made our way over to Sylgja, where she now sat at the campfire outside the mine's entrance. I vaguely remembered the woman from my time with Avalyn. To my memory, a couple years back she fell injured in a cave-in while working in the mine. Avalyn took a message to the Sylgja's parents in Dark Water Crossing when she couldn't make the journey herself. Apparently, the miner remembered me as well, seeing as she welcomed me by name as I neared.

"Jakev Veres, is it really you? Last time I saw you, you were passed out on the floor of the Barb back in Riften! What brings you out to Shor's Stone?" Her gaze drifted to where Lei walked beside me. "And who's your friend?"

I began to introduce Lei as I had before. "This is – "

"Lei. Lei Night-Eye," the Dunmer finished. I looked at her, surprised. Rarely did she give her full name, especially to people outside the Guild. The title "Night-Eye" was not her true surname - in fact, I wasn't sure she had one - but rather it had been given to her after her successful execution of Emperor Titus Mede II, for all any of the man's guards remembered from the night of the sovereign's death was a black-clad assassin with pure black eyes. And thus, the name "Night-Eye" was perpetuated throughout her Brotherhood and the Guild, who congratulated her on the feat. As it was, the name itself would probably not lead anyone to suspect who she was, but usually she didn't risk it. Despite the obscure name, Sylgja gasped in recognition. My confusion must have shown, because Lei glanced at me and laughed. "We know each other."

" _Know_ each other?" Sylgja exclaimed. "Are you kidding? This girl – "She walked over and hugged Lei around the shoulders. "This girl saved my life last year!"

"I didn't really," Lei shrugged, or at least tried to through Sylgja's iron grip on her arms. "It was just a few bandits."

"If by a few you mean eleven."

"You were fine!"

Sylgja laughed. "If by fine you mean bleeding from a major artery, swinging my pickaxe at whoever came close." Lei opened her mouth, but the miner kept talking. "Yes, including you. I remember – hells, you wouldn't let me forget!" She turned to me, smiling. "I was making my way back from Dark Water, when this gang of thugs runs up in front of me. Their leader demands I pay him five hundred septims, but I didn't have that! When I told him so, they all drew their weapons and started attacking. Thankfully, they weren't exactly top-notch fighters, so they ended up tripping over their own feet on the way. Gave me a chance to run away. That was what saved me, really."

Lei cleared her throat pointedly. "Well, that and this Daedra-driven Elf over here! Here I was, scrabbling at the handle of my pickaxe while I stumbled away from a horde of bandits, when she leaps out of _tree_ and lands smack-on their leader's head! I had no idea what was happening, and neither, it seemed, did the bandits. Before I could even draw my pickaxe, this woman had already taken out another two of my attackers. They kept coming though, and I managed to fend them off, at least until Lei here comes up from behind them and blasts them into the next millennium! Startled and scared, I threw the pick at her – which in retrospect wasn't the _smartest_ move, but hey, can you blame me? Anyway, she dodges it easily, of course, and that's when I notice her armor."

The miner looked around for any eavesdroppers and lowered her voice. "An assassin! A bloody Dark Brotherhood assassin had just saved my life! I could hardly believe it. But at that point, I wasn't doing too well. One of the bandits had managed to slice open my leg, and it was bleeding pretty bad. I was on the verge of falling over, but she comes over and catches me before I hit the ground. A couple healing potions later and I was fit enough to walk, but not without Lei supporting me. She walked me all the way to the edge of town before taking off. I didn't even get her name. Imagine my surprise when she comes back a few days later, this time with some stronger healing potions to give me! I recognized her immediately, even in completely different armor. I got her name that time, and we've been friends ever since."

Lei, having managed to extricate herself from Sylgja's embrace, nodded in agreement. "I visit her occasionally. Whenever I've got the time."

"And you don't care that she's…?" I asked.

"An assassin?" Sylgja finished my question. "Well, she can't be all that bad if she saved my life, now can she? And if she's friends with you as well, then that just proves it! She has her profession, I have mine. I won't judge. Anyway, it seems you two aren't here just to catch up. I saw you talking to Filnjar earlier. Is there something you need?"

"We heard about the activity in the woods. We were wondering what you saw," Lei answered. I winced slightly at the bluntness of her tone, but there wasn't really any way to ease into a topic like this.

"Filnjar says you stayed up one night," I clarified. "And that you believe you know what's making the howling noise."

Clearly, whatever Sylgja had seen scared her, because she visibly tensed at our words. "I did," she rasped. "I stayed awake for hours by this campfire, waiting for the sound to start. Right around midnight, just when I was starting to fall asleep, I heard it. But it wasn't just one of them things out there. There had to have been at least six of them, all making the same sound. That keening, high-pitched, dreadful noise. I don't know what possessed me, but I found myself walking to the edge of town, right over to that rock mound over there. I didn't have a torch with me, and I think that saved my life. Because whatever's out there, it sounded closer that night. Closer than it'd ever been before and closer than it's ever been since. I could _hear_ the leaves crinkling under the group's feet. They couldn't have been less than a hundred paces away.

"I saw one of them, you know. Human looking, and solid – it wasn't a ghost. Or a Daedra, like the Orc'll tell you. Daedra don't _sneak_. I swear it saw me. It stared right through me, through my soul, with those horrible eyes. They glowed a ghastly yellow, but it was the glint of predatory hunger and feral madness in them that scared me. It inched closer, its movements clearer as it neared the campfire. It didn't carry any weapons, but the blood caked on its hands and face told were weapon enough. I ducked down behind the rocks, terrified. I could hear as the creature got closer and closer. Then, the keening started again, from the rest of the pack. The one stalking me returned the call and ran off. Another second and it would've found me. I stayed there, rooted to the spot until sunrise." She looked up at me, eyes wide. "Vampires. Packs of vampires. Acting like no other vampires I've seen before. Working in packs, no thralls. I'm scared. They've been here for over a month, and they aren't leaving. I don't know what to do."

Lei turned to me. "This sounds a lot worse than we thought. We have to do something."

"I know." I turned my attention back to Sylgja. "Listen, Lei and I will stay here again tonight. We'll keep an eye out for anything unusual. Lei is an excellent tracker, I'm sure she can find the source of all of this, right, Lei?"

She nodded. "Definitely. Whatever's out there, I can trace it back to its hive. You won't have to worry about a thing."

The miner sighed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Thank you. Thank you both. Be careful, alright?"

Lei grinned. "We always are."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay whoops this isn't Tuesday, but at least I'm close. It's currently Wednesday at around 1AM as I try to post this. And yes, I know Shor's Stone doesn't have an inn, but I'm sure there's a mod for that somewhere, right? Anyway, this is where the main plot of the story really begins. It won't be a horror, or anything like that, I promise. If you were hoping for that… sorry? Next update should be mid to late July, and should contain Lei's song from last chapter, but I can't be sure because I'm going on a trip where I'll have no way of working on the next chapter for a while. Until then, thank you for reading, and be sure to leave a comment!


	7. Fire and Ash

_Chapter 7: Fire and Ash (POV-Jakev)_

"So," Lei began as we left the central camp, "what are your thoughts on all of this?" She gestured back toward Sylgia and the others. "With all they said, it sounds bad, but… Is it really vampires? I mean, this close to Dawnguard headquarters and all, it seems rather unlikely."

"I thought the same thing, but while the town's fear could be influencing these rumors, I'd rather not dismiss the possible threat behind it." I laughed lightly, remembering a similar conversation I had with Avalyn, when we had first heard the rumors of a dragon crisis. "We don't know what we're dealing with, true, but let's assume the worst and prepare for that, shall we?"

Lei nodded. "Fine with me; safer that way. What preparations did you have in mind?"

"Depends. Just how much did the College teach you?"

Lei's sinister smile was answer enough.

As it turns out, the assassin was a better mage than I had originally believed. During our "expedition," she displayed a surprising mastery of shock and ice-based spellcraft, and her ability to place and conceal several groups of explosive runes proved invaluable as we continued to secure the town's perimeter. Lei also managed to summon two wolf familiars to patrol the area after dark. Personally, I spent my magicka on an assortment of shield-based spells, in order to protect and warn the villagers if any hostiles did come through. After a decent hour or two of walking, talking strategy, spell casting and trap-setting (Lei's specialty), the area was deemed safe enough for the time being. And so, we began the trek back to Shor's Stone.

Once we arrived back at the town, Lei took some of the guards aside and began lecturing them on night patrolling - "Don't use torches (it ruins your night vision), don't talk (it lowers your awareness), step softly (don't give away your position), et cetera." In the meantime, I made my way over to Filnjar's setup again, where the smith was now hunched over, busy hammering out the dents in a guard's helm. "Afternoon, Jakev." He glanced up from his work long enough to smile in greeting, then returned his focus to the table before him. "Good to see you two are back okay. What do you need?"

"Armor, actually." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "And a few other things. Think you could help me out?"

The smith laughed, and turned fully to face me. "Truly?" At my answering nod, his face lit up in a smile. "Of course I can! Come, come – what're you looking for? I'm afraid you're a bit thinner than the normal customer – well, that's to be expected I suppose, as you ain't no Nord. Maybe if I take- "

I placed my hands before me in a ' _slow down'_ gesture. "Hang on – it's not for me."

Filnjar's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Well, who _is_ it for then? I can't well… _Ohhh._ "

Now it was my turn to be confused. " _Ohhh?"_ I asked, " _'Ohhh'_ what?" I followed the man's gaze to see Lei behind me, standing with the guards, talking animatedly with their captain. I turned back to the smith. "Oh! Yes, for her." At his knowing expression, I realized. "I mean, no! No! No no no no no. Not like… like _that._ " I shook my head, half-laughing, "Gods, not like that."

The Nord now waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Are you sure, lad? I mean, I would think _flowers_ would be a better gift than armor, but maybe a girl like her– "

"She asked me!" I interrupted before the smith could go any further. "Lei asked me to do this. She needs another set of armor, her current set… well, let's just say it isn't quite fit for the task at hand."

"Oh? Well, alright. When does she need it by?" Filnjar asked, "I'd assume a lass like her would prefer a lighter set, no?"

"Correct. And… she needs it by tonight, actually." The smith froze, fixing me with a disbelieving glare. "Is that okay?"

Silence.

I decided to rephrase my question. "Is it _doable_?" His expression didn't change. "If you need, I can lend a hand, and I assure you, we can pay."

"Doable? Lad, it's-" He sighed. "Maybe. No promises, but I can try. Won't be nothing fancy, though."

"That's fine, that's fine." I assured him. "Do you need anything before you get started?"

He gave me a once over, considered some internal thought, before dismissing me with the wave of a hand and the words: "No, thank you, Jakev. Come back to me just before dark. I'll have something for you then."

"Thank you Filnjar. You're a life-saver, truly."

"Bah!" He shooed me away, saying, "just get out of my space and let me work, Elf!"

I did as I was told, nearly tripping over my own cloak as I backed away. "Thanks again!" The smith muttered something under his breath, which, judging from the tone and answering scoff, wasn't flattering.

Shaking my head but still smiling, I walked over to where Lei was now watching the guardsmen spar, guiding their swords and offering words of advice where needed. If the guards felt any sense of unease from these armed interactions with the cloaked woman, they were wise enough not to show it. She raised her hooded head as I neared, along with a hand in a mock-salute. "Ah, Master Jakev! So kind of you to join us. I was just showing the men here how to defend themselves against a spellsword. Might be useful in our current situation. In fact, while you're here – no, Feldyrr, raise your shield higher, that's it –" She drew her own dagger for a brief demonstration, then transferred her attention back to me. "Anyway, I was wondering if you and I could show them a thing or two? Give them an idea of what we're up against?"

"You mean a sparring match?"

The Elf nodded. "Nothing too extreme. I can fight with a sword and shield well enough, and I know you can do just as well using a sword and spell. What do you say?"

"If you think it'll help, sure. I'll need a weapon, though."

"Not a problem." She looked around the assembled company, assessing. "Wulf, you'll do. Lend the nice man your sword, will you? And Ava, could I borrow your shield for a minute?" Once the items had been passed up to us, Lei unsheathed the bandit leader's sword from its place in her shoulder pack, which she slung off and discarded as she readied herself and waved the guards away.

I did the same, weighing the borrowed blade in one hand. The balance was actually quite good, as it was. My other hand, I allowed to fill with ice – not my preferred element, but the one most often used by our supposed opponent. Lei raised her eyes to mine, a silent challenge in their black depths.

"Ready, old man?"

"If you're so eager to lose, by all means…" My lips curled in a smile to match her own. "Let's begin."

I sent a barrage of ice spikes flying towards her face, which she dodged with ease, then parried her blade as she lunged forward with an attack of her own. I flicked her sword away with the twitch of my wrist, and countered with a swing at her undefended side. The assassin swayed and deflected the force of my attack off the edge of her shield. She pressed forward, forcing me to take several steps back, before trying a stab at my ribs. I leapt out of the way and flung a miniature blizzard in her direction. Lei ducked the storm and darted forward, aiming now for my legs. I was forced once again to step back and yield ground, while she pressed the advantage with a flurry of steel that required every ounce of my skill to parry. Thankfully for me, one of her attacks went wide, sending her stumbling a step. I took the misstep as an opportunity.

Near desperate, I went on the offensive, summoning daggers upon daggers of frost with deadly trajectory, while my true focus was held by the clash and flash of our blades before us. She used her shield to block spell after spell, and still managed to dodge, sway and roll out of my sword's path without suffering a scratch. Some small part of my mind still had to marvel at the grace Lei displayed, even as I was again moving at lightning speeds trying to deflect her fury.

Maybe that part wasn't small enough, though, seeing as one moment our weapons were locked in a deadly dance, and the next mine flew out of my hand to land hilt-deep in the dust. Without missing a beat, Lei dashed forward, shield-first, and knocked me to the ground.

And there I lay, with her sword to my throat for the second time in two days. Our eyes locked. For a second, there was complete silence on the field. Then, Lei broke out laughing and lowered her blade. She leaned down and offered me a hand up, which I accepted gratefully with a smile of my own. The guards behind us clamored, shouting praise for Lei and, surprisingly, me. We stood shoulder to shoulder for several minutes, answering questions and reenacting different moves for the men. After they were satisfied, Lei sent them practicing again for what they promised would be an entire hour, and the two of us walked together to the inn for a drink.

The innkeeper was more than happy to serve us, and soon enough, we were sitting by the bar with two flagons of chilled mead, swapping rumors and relaxing, just, I thought, like old times.

The connection did not slip unnoticed with Lei, either. "Isn't this nice? Sharing tales over a mug of ale in the company of your friends? Once we get back to Riften, I'm sure Bryn will be happy to catch up. Karliah, too, if she's there." She sipped her drink, and explained. "She's been spending a lot of time over at the Sepulcher. Trying to commune with you-know-who; She's not named a new member to serve in the Trinity. The Guild's getting worried. If She's angry with us again, I'm not sure what we'll do." Lei sighed and shook her head. "Makes you wonder. Why the Lady's gone silent. What'll change without Her. And without… _her._ "

"Maybe… Maybe there's not been a new member named because the original isn't dead?" I glanced at the assassin, her bleak expression stark in my mind.

"Perhaps. We can hope, my friend. And sometimes, hope is all we have." She fixed me with a sympathetic frown. "But you know as well as anyone, Jak, hope doesn't save lives. And it doesn't bring back the dead."

"I know. But… Avalyn can't be dead. You knew her, Lei. Saw her. Always smiling, full of life and so ready to help anyone she met. Dwemer ruins, ancient tombs, Falmer dens, the dragons themselves - nothing fazed her. By the time she… left... she was untouchable, nearly. I just can't imagine – it's not possible – she can't be dead."

Lei wouldn't meet my eyes. "Jak… I hope you're right." I couldn't think of anything more could say. Neither, it seemed, could she.

We sat in that awkward silence for what could have been anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, it was hard to tell. Finally, after both our flagons were long empty and the quiet between us had lasted far too long, it was thankfully interrupted by the entrance of the miners, just off work in Redbelly. They were talking enthusiastically among themselves, discussing what I interpreted as the emergence of a new quicksilver vein amid the iron. They called for a round of ale, and invited me and Lei to sit with them. The assassin obliged, handing her empty tankard to the barkeep on the way. After a moment's hesitation, she glanced back at me, a question etched plain on her face.

I shook my head. All this talk of Avalyn… I needed time to myself. Still, I felt a pang of loneliness as Lei turned away and joined the miners. I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself. But as I sat there, leaned over the bar in a position only all too familiar, I couldn't help myself. My thoughts turned once again to my oldest friend, to Avalyn.

All the way back to when we met, a lifetime ago.

 _I was walking the streets of Falkreath, considering paying a visit to the local alchemist. With that thought in mind, I reached for my coin purse, only to find the gloved hand of a hooded thief pilfering its contents. Angered, I slapped the hand away and caught their wrist. They squirmed, trying to get away. I held firm, but my grip slackened as the thief began to cry. Confused, I pushed the hood back from their face. A child. A child with sunken cheeks and ragged clothes, no shoes and dirt everywhere. She couldn't have been older than fourteen, maybe seven years younger than me. I felt a sudden rush of sympathy. I loosened my hold on their wrist and took their small hands in my own. I kneeled, and tried to comfort the child. "Hey, hey, you're okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You're okay. What's your name, kid?"_

 _The girl met my gaze distrustfully. Through restrained hiccups, she mumbled, "Avalyn."_

 _"Avalyn." She was a Nord, sure enough, but her name wasn't a common one. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Jakev. Where are your parents, Avalyn?"_

 _"Dead. The Thalmor killed them."_

 _I winced. No wonder she was looking at me like that. "Well, I'm not a Thalmor, Avalyn. Would you like to come with me for a while? At least to get a new set of clothes?"_

 _The girl, Avalyn, nodded, wiping her eyes. She looked up at me, her face a little lighter. "Okay."_

I pulled myself out of my memories, wiping tears of my own from my eyes before they could fall. I took a deep breath, letting it out through my nose. _Memories. That's all they are. You can't change what happened._ And I certainly couldn't let myself wallow; that's how I ended up drunk at the Bee and Barb. I sighed, and gave myself a little shake to clear my head.

Some distant part of my brain registered the sound of music emanating from behind me. I turned to look, and with a small amount of shock registered Lei, with lute in hand, singing for the miners. The tune was familiar. I recognized the last few notes of " _Eyldi the Bear"_ as they floated out to dissipate in the tavern air. The miners applauded her performance, to which Lei bowed and smiled shyly.

She looked over to the bar, where I was sitting, and offered me a sad smile. "For you, Jakev." She strummed her lute, and began a beautiful rendition of " _The Dragonborn Comes_ " A lovely song, and Lei sang it better than any other bard I had heard, this time with an added verse of her own creation, which went as follows: ' _Our hero, our savior, proved a warrior's heart. We know, we know, the Dragonborn lives.'_

Upon it's ending I found myself once more wiping tears from my eyes. I was determined, however, not to lose myself to memory again. I pushed my chair back and joined the group, this time grateful for the distraction they provided. Lei's smile grew, and she stood once again to sing.

"This one's an old song. From _my_ history, not you lot's," she said, waving at the two Nord miners. They grinned and raised their tankards in response. "A song, I admit, that I had forgotten about until very recently. It's called " _Fire and Ash._ " It'll be a little something new. Do any of you know of the Nerevarine?" Several of the miners, Sylgia included, nodded. "Well, it's about them, their story. It goes like this…"

" _Fire, ash, ash and fire_

 _words on the wind and an empty pyre_

 _left at birth, raised by none_

 _lived on the streets, their life hard-won_

 _soon dumped off the coast of Seyda Neen_

 _with an emperor's order they have to heed_

 _through_

 _Fire ash, ash and fire_

 _unholy gods with Dagoth conspire_

 _beware, my friend, beware the night_

 _the sixth now fills your mind with blight_

 _an emperor's plant to save the land_

 _works with Ashlanders, hand in hand_

' _gainst_

 _Fire ash, ash and fire_

 _moon-and-star, disease most dire_

 _lost and struck with curse-of-flesh_

 _yet saved by chance, and cured from death_

 _unite the houses and tribes four_

 _tell them all, prepare for a war_

 _of_

 _Fire ash, ash and fire_

 _Beware the past, and Dagoth's ire_

 _through the gates and start the climb_

 _fight for the weapons from another time_

 _ **long-lost brother, welcome, come**_

 _ **find me, join me, you can't run**_

 _ **from**_ _"_

 _Fire ash, ash and fire_

 _"_ _ **never, no, traitor, liar**_ _"_

 _shatter the heart of the gods_

 _you've made it this far against the odds_

 _the end of this battle of the ages_

 _while red mountain below still rages_

 _with_

 _Fire ash, ash and fire_

 _yes_

 _Fire ash, ash and fire_

 _skies of_

 _Fire…"_

As the last note faded from the air, there was a moment of calm and quiet, an extreme contrast from the fast-paced intensity present in Lei's song. Then, it was shattered by the most unearthly sound I've ever heard in my life. The sun had not yet sunk below the horizon, but there was no denying it. The keening had begun.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm back! And back with a new chapter, at that! Behold, nine hours of brain-meltage and sleep deprivation. Hope it's legible! Told you all I'd have a song (eventually), and you can listen to it, if you'd like. I know this website doesn't like links, but if you add 'vocaroo "dot" com' before the slash and 'i', it might work. But yes, it does have a tune! And please, if you do listen to it, let me know what you think! As always, see you all in the next chapter, which should be up in a week or two! (I hope.) Bye!

Song: /i/s055DLaly0RI (plus what is said above)


	8. Into the Dim

_Chapter 8: Into the Dim (POV-Lei Night-Eye)_

 _No time._ We weren't prepared for this, not so soon. Without a second to lose, Jakev and I could only share a panicked look before we rushed out the door. Jak went to rally the guards and warn the townsfolk inside. I ran to meet Filnjar at his forge. "Armor," I rasped, my throat closing around the word in my fear. Thank the gods, he didn't waste any time. The smith handed me a bundle of meticulously wrapped and well-oiled cloth and hurried me inside his home to change.

My eyes were everywhere at once, barely registering what they saw. _Fireplace. Tools._ No space for me to set the armor out. _Bookshelf. Ledger. More tools._ I climbed the stairs, trying to order my thoughts. _Table. Too much stuff. Bed. Grindstone._ Wait. The bed. I threw my cloak to the floor and began unbuckling the black and red leathers underneath. I peeled off my gloves, setting them by the boots I had kicked off a moment before. My hands shook a bit as I unraveled the Filnjar's parcel, but after a minute of fumbling with the knots of string and cloth, the wrappings fell open.

In their place lay a gleaming cuirass of what looked like black quicksilver. Slightly flared pauldrons, sharp angles and layers of polished metal - almost like… feathers. Beautiful, and oddly aquiline. The flickering light made it seem like it was moving, shimmering and swirling like water. My fingers traced the silvery patterns for a single, awestruck moment. Then the reality of the situation came crashing back. The town was in danger. I had to hurry. I had to get out there. I didn't wait another second. Without even pausing to think, I raced to put the armor on, my previously trembling hands now steady and sure. Danger was something I was more than familiar with. Fear was an old friend. But now, I couldn't let the thought of either distract me anymore.

Boots, gauntlets, cuirass – even the flared helmet (with a built-in plate to conceal my face) – every piece of armor fit me perfectly, molded to every dip and curve. Leather joints that bent and rotated effortlessly, padded soles on the boots for silent movement, dual sheaths with small loops in the belt for potion vials– there was no question. The armor was a work of art. Beautiful in every aspect, yet fully functional and seemingly designed for no one but me. I huffed a sigh of amazement at the smith's work, stooping to pack all of my Brotherhood ensemble into the hidden pocket of my bag. _Don't think I'll be wearing that again anytime soon,_ I thought to myself with a smile.

I left the house. Jakev and Filnjar were waiting for me by the steps outside the door, the former trying to calm the latter. Neither of them seemed to notice my arrival. A little put out, I cleared my throat pointedly. Two heads turned my way. The smith smiled when he saw me, some of the fear leaving his eyes. "I say you've outdone yourself this time, old friend," Jakev said, his own eyes wide in admiration. "Maybe I should have asked for something, too."

"Actually," Filnjar replied, stepping over to the forge. "I had a bit of metal left over… where did I put them?" He dug through a small chest at the foot of the workbench. "Ah, here we are! Yes, as I was saying – there was a good bit of scrap left after I finished the lady's armor, I thought I might put it to use, eh?" The Nord turned back to us, with two new slender packages in his hands. "For you," he held the longer of the two out in Jakev's direction. "And you," handing me the other. With a quick glance between us, Jak and I began to unwrap our "gifts."

Mine fell apart to reveal two intricately crafted, razor-sharp daggers. Flawlessly balanced, not too heavy, not too light. The hilts were molded perfectly to my grip. The blades themselves were golden, tinged with black along their spines. A perfect match to my new armor. I looked over to my companion, whose eyes were locked on the item before him. He held an elegant, elvish short sword, a sister to my daggers. Though instead of gold, the rapier gleamed silver. The Altmer shook his head in amazement. "'Nothing fancy,' you said. This… I've never seen anything like it." He turned to Filnjar. "How much do we owe you?"

"Not a Septim, my friend." He held up his hand as Jakev tried to protest. "Please. You've done enough already. Just put it all to good use, alright?"

Jakev nodded. "Alright." We both thanked the smith profusely. For a moment, we had forgotten the task at hand and talked easily among ourselves. Yet seconds later, a painful reminder echoed from the woods, bringing our minds back in focus. With a hasty goodbye, we ran into the trees.

"See anything?" Jak whispered to me as we crouched in the brambles.

"No, actually. My eyes are the same as yours, you know."

He thought for a minute, then replied. "Oh. I thought, with the name and all…"

I elbowed him. "Doesn't work that way, you know that. Now shut up, I'm trying to listen." He muttered an apology, and shifted a bit on his feet. I rolled my eyes, training my senses back on the night. Besides the odd screech and hiss from whatever was out there, there was nothing to hear. No footsteps, nothing. _Strange,_ I thought. _They should have hit the traps by now. What the hell is out there?_

As if in response to that very thought, a flash of purplish light illuminated the woods, accompanied by the sound of rolling thunder and the crash of lightning. I turned to Jakev, his anxious expression a mirror of my own. As one, we darted toward the triggered rune, careful to avoid any of the others.

There was a small clearing in the trees where my shock rune had been placed. The area was slightly charred, and I thought I could detect a faint smell of smoke. _But no body. Or ash. Or anything, for that matter._ My scalp tingled as I moved forward, the air felt charged. I crouched by the edge of the site to get a closer, but it quickly became clear that whatever had set off the trap was gone. _Damn it._ "Nothing. False alarm, I suppose." Sighing, I turned back to Jak. "We'd better ge- "

"Lei," he interrupted calmly – too calmly. Something was wrong. Jakev wasn't looking at me. He was standing perfectly still, staring off into the woods, eyes locked on something I couldn't see. His hands crept towards his sword. "Don't. Move."

It took every ounce of self-control I had not to whip my head around right then and there. Instead, I froze, half crouching in the dirt, my eyes trained on his. I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. _The corner of a cloak. A glint of metal, maybe?_ Jakev had his sword fully drawn now, his left hand filling with fire. I heard a soft laugh from the trees behind me. Whatever made the sound took several steps forward.

"Get down!" Jakev's words were the only warning I had. My mind went blank, I threw myself to the ground. An ice spike exploded inches away from my head. Still moving, I sprang to my feet and drew my daggers. There was nothing there.

"What was that?" I scanned the trees frantically, trying to catch a glimpse of what had attacked us. "Jak?" The forest around us swayed in a phantom wind, yet despite the stillness of the air, I felt a chill run down my spine. Shadowy silhouettes danced among the trees, an unsettling wail rising from their throats. I could hear them on all sides, surrounding us. A trap. Clever, I had to admit. As the figures drew closer, I could see the hungry yellow glow of their eyes, the sharp flash of light on their fangs. _Vampires._

The world stood still for a moment, the calm before the storm. I stood back to back with Jakev, daggers at the ready. I could feel him behind me, sense the heat from his spells. Every breath I took seemed painfully slow, but my blood raced beneath my skin. My lips curled into a smile.

We charged as one. Jak flung a fistful of fire into the closest vampire, who, unfortunately, was too slow to dodge. It collapsed, clawing at its face as it went up in flames. While the herd was distracted, I rushed right into the group in front of me, managing to cut down two of the five before they even realized what was happening. Their blood marked my blades, black and glistening in the moonlight. The survivors leapt at me, fangs bared. I ducked toward one of them, slicing at its throat. A wet _thump_ told me the blow was true. Headless, the beast dropped to the ground.

Two remaining. I rolled away as one of them sent an ice spike hurtling at my head, stopping just short of a dagger thrown by the other. Quickly, I shot up, expecting another attack to follow. There wasn't one. At least, not immediately. The vampires stood a few feet away, cautiously assessing me. It seemed the death _(re-death?)_ of their comrades had made them wary. "What are you waiting for?" I jeered. "I'm not getting any younger. Come and get me!" They hissed and flashed their fangs, but didn't get any closer. "Scared?" Idly, I tossed my daggers in the air, catching them by the hilts as they fell. "Here, see?" I sheathed the left one. "I'll go easy on you, promise."

One of them ran at me. I could see the anger burning in its eyes as it neared. The other didn't look so eager. _Well, that's no fun._ I blocked a clumsy sword thrust with ease, and with a mocking smile sent the vampire's weapon spinning to the ground. "First mistake," I said, kicking the blade away. "You gave away your target before you even moved." My opponent snarled, claws aimed for my face. "Second mistake." I seized its hand, pulling the creature off balance. "You got too close." My remaining dagger pressed against its throat. "And third?" Black blood spattered my gloves as I continued. "You were fighting me." Eyes extinguished, it fell backward. I looked to where the other vampire had stood, but only caught a glimpse of a shadow fleeing into the trees. "Coward!" _A shame, but I'll can track it down later._

A stray fireball whizzed past my ear. "Sorry!" Jakev shouted. Startled, I glanced over my shoulder. I had been so focused on my own fight, I had forgot about Jak. He seemed to be doing okay, but his opponents were obviously giving him a hard time. Four of them advanced on him, each one sporting various injuries, but still fighting. So far, it seemed Jak himself had remained unscathed, but that would change soon if I didn't come to his aid. Blood singing, and with both daggers now sheathed, I let my hands fill once more with crackling electricity.

The spell's power curled around my fingers as it charged. By the time the vampires attacking Jakev noticed me, it was too late. My lightning shot towards them, striking the nearest full in the chest. But the damage didn't end there. An arc of purple energy leapt from the corpse, moving to meet its next target with a blast to the side. One after another, the two freshly re-dead beasts keeled over in the dust. Jakev, taking advantage of the subsequent shocked reactions of the two left standing, ran the closest through.

The other looked back up to find me a few feet away, another spell at the ready. It let out a muffled shriek and ran for the trees. I sent a bolt hurtling after the creature seconds later, but it dodged and the spell missed by a hair. Unfortunately for the vampire, that wasn't the only spell I had active at the time. The crash of a triggered rune filled the woods, the light dyeing the autumn trees purple. I winced. My trap runes were _not_ friendly. Even if I bothered to look, I knew what I'd find – a smoking pile of ash. _Thanks, Festus_ , I thought to myself, _I owe you one, old man. Speaking of 'old men…'_

"Hey Jak, you alright over there?" He was leaning his weight heavily on one foot, bracing himself on a nearby tree. He shook his head, clutching at his side. Blood seeped through his robes. Now I was worried. I helped him to the ground, my breath catching in my throat as I saw the wound. "It's… not fatal. Probably. Um… I'm not the best with healing spells, give me a moment, I- "

"You know, Night-Eye, you're not very good at this. Aren't you supposed to say something like, 'Oh, you'll be fine, all you need to do is rest,' or the famous, 'No, it's not _that_ bad.'" Jakev tried to laugh, but the sound was pained.

"Don't talk," I said as I rummaged through my bag. _Where was that potion?_

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "You need to organize that thing."

"Hush." My nails clicked against a small vial. I pulled it out, hoping – _damn it._ White tag, not a healing potion. Good for a quick getaway, not so much for _this._ Jakev's breathing was ragged, despite his efforts to keep it level. Near desperate now, I up-ended the bag in the dirt, scrabbling through the scraps of paper and miscellaneous - mostly experimental – mixtures, a random assortment of books.

Jak, still watching, commented on one of the potions. "What about that one, next to your left hand? No, your – right there, yes – no. By Akatosh, Lei, l swear, it's _right there._ "

Finally, I found what he was talking about, which did, in fact, end up being the one I was looking for. Just to be sure, though, I took a whiff of the liquid inside. _That's it._ I thrust the vial towards the wounded Altmer, who took it with a grateful nod and swallowed the contents. Fascinated, I watched as his skin began to knit itself back together. After a few minutes, his breathing returned to normal, the bleeding stopped. I let out a breath of my own, one I didn't even know I had been holding. "That should scar over pretty soon, I think. I designed that potion to heal gradually; the ones that work instantly hurt too much, and give me a headache besides. How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"Like I got stabbed," he deadpanned. "Thanks, though. You're a life-saver."

I winked. "As always."

"That's what, ten times? Eleven?"

"Sixteen, actually. Seventeen, if you count that time with the boat."

He glared at me, but he was fighting a smile. "Pushing me into the Sea of Ghosts and getting Avalyn to pull me out does not count."

"Pushed? Me?" I raised a hand to my chest in mock indignation. "You offend me, sir!"

"Uh-huh. Help me up, will you?" I got to my feet - I had been kneeling at his side - and offered him my hand. He took it gladly, and soon enough we were ready to start moving again.

"One of mine got away," I admitted. "It ran off to the east, through that gap in the trees. I can track it down, see where all of these bastards are coming from. You ready?"

Jakev shouldered his pack. "Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Here it is! Not quite as long as the last chapter, but it can't be helped. I'll admit, I had some trouble writing this chapter, so if it gets a bit clunky at times, I apologize. I thought it better just to push through rather than keep you guys waiting again! Next chapter I think I'll be going with a less combat-oriented approach, at least until the end. And let me know in the comments, who do you want to narrate the next chapter? I'm still not sure who to use myself, so if you want to see Lei more or Jak more, tell me! I'm looking forward to writing it! As always, see you in the next chapter guys!


	9. Into the Fray

_Chapter 9: Into the Fray (POV-Jakev)_

Lei found the escaped vampire's trail easily. The poor bastard had cut a path right through the fallen autumn leaves, the disturbances visible even to the untrained eye. Obviously, the runaway had been fully focused on putting as much distance as possible between him and the assassin, and did not have the time to worry about hiding his tracks. _I don't blame him,_ I thought. Lei hadn't always been as amiable as she was now. No, our first encounter was marked by what I distinctly remember as the Dunmer trying to sabotage my research at the College. Ask her though, and she'll spin a different tale. Something about getting lost and a simple case of curiosity, no doubt.

And, truth be told, our relationship hadn't improved until much later in our lives. Five years later, to be exact – seven years from present day. It was then Lei met Avalyn. If one defines "met" as "almost murdered," at least. _Quite a story, that._ I'd remind Lei about the incident later, she always got a kick out of retelling it.

But now was not the time, unfortunately. The two of us had arrived at the end of the road, so to speak. Our escapee had led us right to the mouth of a cave, his footprints – along with those from several other groups - faded into the darkness within. The vampires' lair, no doubt. Lei told me to wait by the entrance while she went inside to confirm. I had a few moments to myself, staring out into the inky night. The keening had ceased, I noted. Likely because of me and Lei. Our battle with the vampires hadn't been what one would call "quiet," and I would have been surprised if any of the surviving groups still roamed, not with us endangering their kin.

Lei emerged from the cave, waving me over. "Definitely the bloodsuckers' den. The whole place reeks of it." She shuddered. "It's not a pretty sight. I've never seen anything like it before. Not a thrall to be found, no servants, not even a single one of those monstrosities they call dogs. As far as I can tell, it's a purely vampiric population in there."

"So Sylgia was right." I remembered the miner's harrowing encounter with our adversary. "In that case, she's lucky she survived. The one stalking her must have decided she was too much trouble to kill. The villagers might have called the Dawnguard if she had gone missing." I gestured to the cavern beside us. "Drawn unwanted attention to whatever it is they're hiding in there."

"Hiding something? How can you be sure?" Lei asked. "The things aren't exactly being subtle, you know. I mean, unless they're holding the auditions for a banshee screeching choir in the woods." A weak joke, even for her. _Odd._

"Just a guess. All of these rumors of haunted woods and vengeful spirits could be keeping attention away from other activities going around in the surrounding caves." I noticed the glazed-over look in her eyes and the careful restraint in her breaths. "Nervous?"

"I'm standing ten feet away from the biggest vampire infestation I've ever seen. Nervous is an understatement." Her black eyes came back into focus to meet my green ones. "We should be calling on the Dawnguard, not trying to take them all on ourselves."

"I don't trust the Dawnguard. Sure, they're good fighters – I'll give them that. But you've seen the way they treat the infected. Even with those that are newly afflicted, where the disease hasn't had time to take root in their mind- they deserve to die, in their eyes. Efficient, yes. Powerful? Certainly. But humane? Never. They will slaughter anything and anyone that gets in their way, living or undead." Lei opened her mouth to argue, but closed it and instead fixed me with a withering glare. I didn't wither.

"You're going to be the death of me, knife-ears," she replied finally.

"Well, un-death really." Her eyes, the only thing visible behind her helmet, narrowed in confusion. "Vampires, Lei. We're fighting vampires." I explained.

She made a grumbling sound in the back of her throat, clearly not amused. "Exterminating vermin, you mean." As if struck by a sudden thought, the Elf turned to face me fully with fire in her eyes. "If one of those things in there manages to Turn me, kill it, will you? Avenge me and all that stuff?" I nodded, admittedly a bit confused by her request. "And… Jak?" She continued, "Kill me too."

Without giving me a chance to respond, she dove back into the cave. _What?_ I mean, I knew Lei didn't like the undead – albeit for reasons unknown - but this? In a different situation, I would have pressed her for more information. However, that seemed a bad idea in this setting as I followed her into the fetid den. I forced myself to dismiss the thought, instead training my mind on staying alive through our endeavor.

Only a few meters in, we were forced to come to a stop. Two vampires - one female, one male - idled in the entry chamber, their yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness. Lei had been right. A fresh kill lay before them in a pool of blood – a hunter by the looks of it. They had fed recently, then. The dead man's blood stained their teeth and ran red down their chins, only to dry a crusty brown on ragged tunics. They stood facing each other, engaged in a hissing argument and utterly oblivious to the danger that lurked nearby. Lei waved me off, indicating I should stay behind her for this one. I complied, content to sit back and watch the assassin do her thing. She selected a small vial with a white tag from her belt, gulping it down. The potion took effect almost immediately, cloaking her in what started as a mirror-like polish, but eventually faded to reveal nothing but empty air.

And just as I had guessed would happen, the two vampires toppled to the ground a few moments later, Lei's golden daggers buried hilt-deep in their hearts. She reappeared in a flash of light, retrieving the blades with a clear air of disgust. Her eyes met mine from across the room, and a slight inclination of her head told me the deed was done. With finger to her lips, Lei beckoned me to follow. She led me to a narrow crack in the wall, completely hidden unless you were looking for it. We squeezed our way through the jagged stone. I sucked in a pained breath as my injured side brushed against a protruding section of rock. Lei shot me a sympathetic look, no doubt guessing what had happened. I shrugged, determined not to let it slow me down.

Another room loomed to meet us, its ceilings higher than the last, and… it was completely packed with vampires. From our sheltered position, crouching in the shadows, I could count at least ten, but my detection spells indicated the presence of many more. Twenty-three vampires in total. _Stendarr's Mercy._ I held up my hands, with the number ticked on my fingers for Lei to see. She glanced over, eyes widening almost imperceptibly as she realized my meaning. I nodded tensely, the movement hardly more than a sharp jerk of my neck. With a deep breath, Lei moved forward again, the shadows swallowing her up. After taking a brief moment to brace myself in a similar way, I followed.

Thankfully, most of the vampires sat in seclusion, their abnormally large populous apparently not affecting the creatures' natural desire for isolation. They made easy targets; a short knife thrust or a veiled spell, and they ceased to be. We managed to proceed undetected with no trouble at all, and with eight, nine, _ten_ of the vampires down without a single hitch, Lei started to become overconfident. She quickened her pace, favoring speed over stealth, didn't quite stick to the shadows as she had before. Yet even with the increased risk of detection, she and I succeeded in taking down an additional four vampires. It was still stressful work, but it had been fairly easy thus far.

Until it wasn't.

In an attempt to preserve my magicka reserves, I had begun to forgo the casting of detection spells. Instead, Lei would give our target and his surrounding area a hasty once-over before we made a move. Another vampire bit the dust. Our system worked well enough.

Until it didn't.

Eight left, and as the night outside grew late, the vampires became restless. It didn't seem like it would become too much of a problem. I prepared a silent Flare spell as the one nearest me turned away. It was a simple shot, one I had performed countless times before. My target was completely unaware of my presence.

Until he wasn't.

The ball of flame left my fingers only to collide harmlessly with the wall where the vampire had been standing a moment before. Faster than my eyes could register, the man dove toward me with fangs and claws outstretched. With no warning, no time to dodge, I found myself flat on my back with his face dangerously close to mine. His foul breath washed over me, rank with the odor of rotten meat. I couldn't breathe. "Lei?" No response from the assassin. "Lei!" Desperate, I tried to shove him off, to no avail. His fingers were like iron. Eyes glowing with anticipation, he lowered his fangs to my neck. I felt them graze my skin.

Purple light filled the room. All at once, the pressure was lifted. It was as if the vampire had simply ceased to exist. I opened my eyes, having closed them in my panic. Lei stood over me, her hands filled with sparks. Her eyes flashed angrily as she helped me to stand, but I wasn't sure if her irritation was due to me or the vampire. _Speaking of which…_ Still slightly dazed, I glanced over my shoulder to see what happened to the man. In his place lay a smoking pile of ash.

"Thanks." I managed, massaging my throat. "Guess that makes it seventeen times now, huh?"

Lei inclined her head, some of the anger leaving her face. "Eighteen." I scoffed. She pretended not to hear it as she continued. "But we need to get out of here. Now. That will have – " The Dunmer broke off and unsheathed her dagger. "Shit."

Three cloaked vampires stood before us, fully armed and spells at the ready. One of them bared bloodstained teeth at Lei, an unearthly wail emanating from his throat. Our escapee, it seemed. He looked quite young, but eternal life tended to do that to a person. Hatred was written plain on his face. She met his gaze amusedly, unblinking and unafraid. "I'm happy to see you made it back." The assassin purred. "It would be a shame if something else had gotten to you first. Now I get to kill you myself."

Enraged, the vampire leapt forward. Lei countered his attack easily, obviously toying with the man. I didn't have time to reprimand her, though. At some silent signal, the other two stalked toward me in unison. Their hands glowed with blood magic, casting sinister shadows on the wall. Unlike their brethren in the woods, these vampires staggered their attacks, getting a feel of my weaknesses instead of blindly slashing at me and hoping to connect. I found myself evenly matched, maybe even at a bit of a disadvantage as I was forced to block both blade and spell simultaneously. All of my magicka reserves went towards constructing wards against their attempts to drain my lifeforce – no time for any offensive spells of my own.

 _Sword it is then. Great._ I drew Filnjar's blade, once again thankful for its excellent craftsmanship. I pushed forward, trying to gain back lost ground before I ended up being backed into a corner. It was far from easy, with my focus split between defensive magic and offensive melee, but it wasn't completely foreign to me either. I pressed any opening available, slashing at undefended ribs and limbs, ducking under their guard when I could. One of them went down, his black blood gushing from the wound in his throat.

The ensuing one-on-one combat allowed me to once again use magic to my advantage. Although my reserves were depleted, I still managed to muster up enough magicka to sling a fireball into my adversary's face. She let out a shriek, clawing at her skin in an attempt to douse the flames. Grimacing, I averted my eyes from the gruesome sight. Her screams persisted, growing hoarser as the spell ravaged her body. With a final, painful cry, the vampire fell to the ground.

Lei's opponent wasn't faring much better. Tainted blood seeped from countless cuts all over his body, none of which were deep enough to kill him. No, they were intended to inflict as much pain as possible on the creature before Lei decided to finish him off - which seemed to be happening now. The vampire, brought to his knees by his wounds, was staring up at her in terror. She advanced, helmetless and smiling, daggers in hand. Her blades rested on either side of his throat, pressing into his pale skin just enough to draw blood. She paused. "Any last words?"

Wisely, perhaps, the vampire chose to remain silent.

Lei shrugged. "Have it your way." The daggers sliced toward each other, severing the man's head from his shoulders. "Burn in Oblivion, s'wit," she spat, wiping her blades clean on his cloak.

I frowned at her, unable to contain my disapproval. "Was that really necessary?"

"Was what necessary?" She asked innocently. I didn't respond. The corners of her mouth raised in a crooked smile. "Oh, you mean _this_?" Lei nudged the vampire's corpse with her boot as she spoke. "It's not _necessary_ , no. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it, though."

My stomach turned in revulsion. The thought of anyone actually _enjoying_ inflicting pain on another living, sentient being was despicable to me. I told her so, not bothering to keep the disgust from my voice.

"See that's the thing, isn't it? If we were up against bandits or warlocks or anything like that – I'd understand your point of view, no problem." The assassin's eyes glittered darkly, her expression unreadable. "But these beasts are no more 'living' than the stone around us. They aren't like any of us. No, they gave up any vestige of morality, not to mention _mort_ ality, the second their hearts stopped beating. After that, they are nothing more than monsters, parasites. Feeding on men and women, killing them for sport? _That_ , Jakev, is despicable. These scum don't deserve our sympathy, let alone our _'mercy.'_ '

Lei glared at me, a challenge clear on her face. I sighed, but had no desire to take the bait. Arguing wasn't going to get us anywhere, and there were still five more vampires left in the cave for us to take care of. Though I had no doubt they were aware of our presence, from the looks of it, they weren't going to come to us. With a pointed glance at Lei, I turned and left the room. Drawing on the last dregs of my magicka, I used my spells to locate the remaining vampires, finding them all gathered in a room towards the back of the cave.

We headed that direction, neither of us bothering with stealth or subterfuge anymore. Wordlessly, Lei pressed a small blue vial into my hand – a magicka potion. I accepted it with a grateful nod and downed the contents of the flask in one gulp. _Gross._ The Dunmer followed suit a few seconds later, wiping her mouth with an expression of distaste.

The entrance to the final room yawned before us. Preparation time. I sheathed my sword and prepared a mental list of spells to use in the next battle. Lei leaned casually leaned against the wall, inspecting one of her daggers. She replaced her helmet with the metal plate flipped down to conceal her face. We met each other's eyes with a silent question between us. _Ready?_ It seemed we were.

Lei stepped into the room first, opening her palm to release a deceptively small magelight. The orb of light struck the ceiling a few seconds late, its power throwing the room into sharp relief. Four vampires clad in black armor and silver masks watched us mutely. Their eyes glowed with hunger. Next to me, Lei stiffened as she beheld what seemed to be the master vampire. The fifth – a female – perched above them all on an iron throne. An ebony mask concealed the woman's nose and cheekbones, leaving her fanged mouth uncovered for… obvious reasons. Her equally black hair ran down to her shoulder blades, complementing her moon-white skin. She regarded the two of us in silence, face twisted in anger, her feral yellow eyes burning into mine.

For a second, she seemed almost… familiar, but I dismissed the thought as soon as it appeared. With a flick of her wrist, the four vampires below her were ready for battle. Three of them drew their swords, advancing on me and Lei. The other hung back, hands shrouded in ice.

The room exploded into action. Lei dashed forward, laughing like a madwoman. She sent a powerful shock spell hurtling toward the vampire nearest to her, striking him right in the chest. His eyes widened in surprise behind the mask as he died, his body convulsing on the ground. Without a moment's pause, she whipped herself around and engaged in blade-to-blade combat with another.

I went with a simpler approach – less movement involved. My hands filled with fire, the flames climbing higher and higher as I felt my magicka reserves shrink. The remaining swordsman launched himself at me with a hiss. I dodged his opening pass – the only one he would ever make against me. I flung a roaring wall of fire in his direction, killing him instantly. No time to rejoice, though. Eyes narrowed, I searched for a sign of the mage. He had been _right there,_ where could he have -? _There._ The vampire stood a few paces away, his gaze fixed on Lei as she grappled with her opponent. Ice flew from his hands, missing her by a hair. Fortunately for him, the assassin barely noticed, still focused her duel.

Unfortunately for him, I was not. His blackened body collapsed a few moments later. Lei made short work of her remaining vampire – a quick knife thrust between his ribs and he was done. Only one left.

We turned back to the throne.

The woman had risen to her feet, sword drawn. I stifled a gasp. The blade was bone – dragon bone. Her armor glimmered in the light of Lei's spell. When she moved, it looked almost like scales. A pit formed in my stomach. _It couldn't be._ I forced myself to raise my gaze, to look at her in the face. Her mask lay discarded at her feet. In its place… "Gods, no," I choked on the words.

"Die," snarled Avalyn.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Back already! I just couldn't wait to post this chapter. I don't have much to say here, but I should be updating again soon! Also thanks to my friends S and L for the help on this one. See you all in the next chapter!


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